You Found Me
by WinniUsagi
Summary: They said there was a ghost in the forest, just outside the village. They said the ghost had been there for centuries, luring even the strongest of men to their deaths. And yet the ghost continued to cry every night, her loud sobs echoing through the tree pathways. Which is why, when Mamoru Chiba meets the spirit named Serenity, he gets a lot more than what he bargained for.


This was supposed to be a "spooky" short story that I posted for Halloween, but then I added romance, the Silver Millenium, and...it got super long. It's kinda vague in places because I rushed through it (I have so many tests this week ;_; ) to get it done and posted, so, if I have time next week, I might come back and edit a few things. I didn't have time to have it beta'd or checked, so if you find any mistakes, let me know! Enjoy! :D

* * *

 _12 years, 4 months_

They said there was a ghost in the forest, just outside the village. They said that, if you focused hard enough, you could hear the screams, the wails, the tortured sobbing at night. They said the ghost had been there for centuries, luring even the strongest of men, the most magical of women, the fastest of children to their deaths. And yet, they claimed, the ghost continued to cry, to scream every night, her loud sobs echoing through the tree pathways. Those who tried to leave the village were never found. To go into the woods like that was suicide, not an adventure.

Which is why Mamoru Chiba hated his friend right now, who was helping him sneak out of his parents' house. He never believed those old folktales of the ghost in the woods, but he believed in the danger of getting caught, of being grounded with twice the amount of chores for a month or two. He was only 12 years old, but even he knew that this wasn't right - his parents would find out and yell at him, demand what he was doing so late at night with Motoki in the woods.

What would he say? "Searching for the ghost that has killed multiple people of our county"?

"I think she's this way!" Motoki whispered as they reached the lake, pointing along the path away from the village, "I saw an old cabin near here, and maybe she lives there!"

"Everyone knows that cabin belongs to the mayor!" Mamoru hissed, "It's his vacation cabin!"

Motoki raised an eyebrow, "The mayor needs a vacation cabin in the woods of the village he's mayor of?"

Well, when he put it like _that. . .  
_  
"Let's go back!" Mamoru said, following his blond friend, "I don't like it here anymore!"

"Are you scared, Mamoru?" Motoki asked, and crouched behind a bush, peering through, "I had to physically push Unazuki away to stop her from coming with us, and you wanna _bail?"  
_  
"Well no, but-"

"Look!"

Mamoru followed his friend's pointed index finger and gasped loudly, "It's her!"

Yes, _her_ indeed - on the other side of the bush was a floating, glowing-white spirit, her ice-blue eyes staring at the scenery around her. Her hair was arranged into two buns atop her head, and two ponytails trailed after her. Her dress was long and white, not unlike the rest of her figure. She floated around, seeming to not be doing anything in particular, but Mamoru could see the moonlight reflecting off her face in two vertical lines, constantly streaming down from her eyes.

The crying spirit let out a wail before burying her face in her hands, which did nothing to muffle the ear-piercing shrieks she emitted. She moaned as she floated, her long dress flowing behind her like a train of fabric.

"Why do you think she's pacing?" Motoki whispered, but Mamoru had had enough of this.

"I'm going home," he replied quietly, but his friend grabbed his arm.

"Mamoru, wait-"

"Motoki, let go of me-"

"Just stop, st-"

"Let go-!"

A loud shriek made the two boys freeze in their positions as the spirit suddenly flew in front of them, her icy eyes staring at the pair. Motoki jumped behind Mamoru, who could hear his friend's teeth chattering from fear.

"We're sorry, we were just leaving!" Mamoru attempted to reason, but found himself at a loss for words. The spirit's stare softened, and she leaned in closer. Motoki let out a quiet whimper behind him, shaking, and Mamoru grabbed one of his friend's hands, in case they had an opportunity to run. As the ghost leaned in closer and closer, her surprised expression now one of curiosity, of wonder, of. . .

Of _sadness_.

 _"Endymion?"  
_  
Mamoru blinked, and suddenly felt a pang of nervousness, like after he ate rotten food that had been left out for too long. He frowned and reached out, but the ghost let out a cry and disappeared, her shocked eyes the last thing he saw before his vision went dark, the only source of light exploding into tiny sparks. He blinked again, staring at where the ghost once stood above the forest floor, and then turned to Motoki.

"Whoa."

That night, the spirit's voice echoed in Mamoru's dreams, always repeating the same word over and over:

" _Endymion?"_

 _13 years, 0 months  
_  
"Never again", they promised each other, "never again are we going back."

Neither of their parents had figured out that they left that night, and Unazuki _promised_ not to tell. At least, that's what she said when 20 candies were placed in front of her.

Yet they went again, on Mamoru's birthday, after their stomachs were full of dinner and birthday cake, their formerly-low excitement now at a spike. They found themselves wandering towards the forest, walking and talking about school, which was to resume in two weeks, and their family and friends.

As they ventured closer and closer to the heart of the forest, they glanced at each other, reading the other's expression. Did they dare go back? The spirit let them go once, would she let them leave again?

"Only if you want to," Mamoru whispered, but Motoki shook his head.

"It's _your_ birthday."

Mamoru rolled his eyes but nodded, "Just for a little bit."

On and on they went, towards the cabin where they first saw the spirit, sticking together as they advanced. The forest was quiet as the trees gently rustled and the night crickets chirped. The gentle autumn breeze swirled around them, and the two friends shuddered, both briefly regretting that neither of them brought a jacket. Mamoru was about to ask Motoki if he wanted to turn back when a loud screech made them jump.

The spirit appeared before them, looking no different than she had before, her icy eyes surprised as she stared at them. She was no more than a foot away from them, yet Motoki grabbed Mamoru's hand and tugged at it, pulling him towards him.

"Mamoru, come on!"

"No- Motoki, wait-"

" _How are you still alive?"_

The two boys halted at the soft voice uttered and they both turned around to stare at the spirit, whose expression seemed pained. She reached out towards them but then retracted her hand, her gaze watching Mamoru.

" _It's not possible."_

"What do you mean?" Mamoru demanded, "Who are you? Give us back the people you stole from us!"

"Mamoru!" Motoki hissed, now practically pulling his arm off, "Come _on!"_

" _I didn't steal them,"_ the spirit spoke, her eyebrows now narrowed, _"they tried to kill me. Is it bad that I protected myself?"_

"Can we leave?" Motoki whispered, but Mamoru wasn't listening. He stepped forward to the spirit, frowning at her.

"Don't their families deserve a proper burial for their loved ones?" he asked.

The spirit's stare softened and she looked down at the grass, her eyes downcast.

" _I didn't know what else to do."_

Mamoru stepped closer to her, reaching out, "Then don't they-"

" _Don't touch me!"_ the spirit shrieked before exploding into tiny sparks again, leaving the two boys in darkness.

The next day, the missing people were found with no marks nor blood on their clean bodies, lying in their beds in their respective households, each one dead.

 _13 years, 3 months_

Ever since the missing people of Mamoru's county appeared back in their homes, proper burials had taken place, but the neighborhood had gone ballistic. Families wanted justice for their formerly-missing loved ones, claiming that someone had stolen them, killed them, and then returned the bodies all at once. Search parties were formed to roam the forest and find the demon responsible, but each returned fruitless.

School had resumed for all the children, meaning Mamoru and Motoki weren't able to go back into the forest during their usual freetime. However they found themselves back in after a sobbing Unazuki ran to them, claiming her favorite ball had bounced into the "deep, dark forest".

"We're just going to grab it and go, alright?" Motoki said as he raised his flashlight, glancing around the trees, "No conversing with the spirit."

"Yeah, yeah," Mamoru nodded, looking around, "I doubt she stayed after the people were returned."

Time passed as the two continued on, walking around the trees and looking around for Unazuki's ball. Soon Motoki sighed and threw his hands up in the air, frustrated.

"I give up."

"That's how much you love your sister?" Mamoru asked, raising an eyebrow, "You're giving up so soon?"

"It's just a stupid inflatable ball!" Motoki said, turning away, "Let's go back. It's getting dark."

"But-"

 _"Looking for this?"_

The two turned to see the spirit standing behind them, a large red ball floating above her hands, a small smile on her face.

Motoki's expression brightened. "Wow, thanks-!"

"Motoki!" Mamoru tugged his friend back, glaring at the spirit, "She killed our people."

The spirit gasped, a hand on her chest as her expression turned into one of hurt, _"It was in defense! I'm a kind spirit!"_

"If you were kind you would have let them go!"

She shook her head, her long ponytails swishing in the air. _"They were throwing things at me!"_

"Well-"

" _They told me I was a witch, a monster! They told me I deserved to die!"_

"You _are_ a monster!"

"Alright, alright!" Motoki lunged forward, placing himself between the spirit and his best friend. "I think we can all agree that no one is 100% to blame here."

" _No! If you think I'm a monster, then so be it!"_ the spirit exclaimed, and turned around to leave.

"No, wait!" Motoki reached after her, but his hand went straight through her, as if she was made of air. She turned and glanced at him, sadly, shaking her head.

" _I'm doomed to such a fate,"_ she said quietly, her voice barely a whisper, _"A fate without anyone to touch me, to see others live on, while I stay here, eternal."_

"Why, though?" Mamoru asked, extending his arm towards her, "Why-"

" _No, don't touch me!"_ the spirit backed away quickly, her arms up in protest, _"You can't touch me!"_

"Why? You're just a ghost, it's not like it hurts-"

" _You can't!"_ the ghost exclaimed, and pointed at Mamoru, _"Just stay away from me! I'm a monster!"_

The spirit disappeared, leaving the two in the darkness.

That night, Mamoru dreamt of the shock and fear in Serenity's eyes before she disappeared, and he woke up screaming at her to look out, to run.

From what, though, he didn't remember.

* * *

The next day Mamoru returned to the forest alone, holding a picnic basket. He told his parents that he was going for his botanical studies class, but in truth he was going to see the spirit again. He felt bad about calling her a monster, and wanted to apologize for doing so.

"Oh spirit!" he called out as he walked along the path, reaching the spot by the cabin, "Where are you?"

Mamoru was met with silence, and he frowned, glancing around the area. The forest was quiet, the only sound the stream flowing around the rocks, a few birds chirping as they flew through the air. The sun was hidden behind puffy clouds, its' rays peeking through them. Mamoru sighed and sat down on the cabin steps, placing the picnic basket down.

"I'm sorry I called you a monster."

A bright light shone next to him, and the spirit appeared, her expression shocked. He stood up and smiled nervously.

"I didn't mean to call you a monster, I was just scared." he shrugged, "Sometimes when people are scared, they do stupid things."

The spirit continued to stare. Mamoru extended his hand towards her, and she flinched slightly but didn't move.

"I'm Mamoru."

The spirit glanced down at his hand, unsure, but then grinned, nodding.

" _My name is Serenity."_

He smiled and took out a thermos from the basket. "Would you like some hot chocolate, Serenity?

She frowned, not comprehending the joke, but then a light of understanding shone in her eyes, and the pair laughed.

That night, he dreamt of Serenity's smile, and how it made his heart flutter.

 _14 years, 7 months_

Mamoru went to the forest almost everyday to meet with Serenity. They - in fact, _he_ \- discussed multiple things, such as Mamoru's family, his school, his friends, books, and plants. In fact, Mamoru would go on and on about these topics, while Serenity would just watch him with interest, a smile on her face. She never interrupted, was patient, and always let Mamoru talk about anything, regardless if he were upset or smiling.

Until one day, when they were sitting by the stream, watching a family of ducks waddling into the water.

"Serenity?"

 _"Mm?"_

"Why was Motoki's hand able to go through you when we came out looking for Unazuki's ball?" Mamoru asked, "Why do you go away everytime I try to reach out to you?"

 _"I. . ."_ she hesitated, glancing down at the steps, her long dress covering the mossy ground, _". . .I can't tell you, Mamoru."_

"Why not? I won't tell anyone!" he scooted closer to her, "Aren't we friends?"

 _"Are we?"_ Serenity asked sadly and reached out to his hand, but then retracted hers, shaking her head.

 _"I can't do that to you."_

An unfamiliar pang of guilt flooded through him, but he wasn't sure why. "Do what?"

 _"I'm afraid we've been talking for too long,"_ Serenity floated up and waved, _"Goodbye, Mamoru."_

"What, no-" Mamoru turned and reached for her, but she exploded into sparks before he could do anything, leaving him alone once again.

That night, he dreamt of Serenity's unhappy face, the way she looked before she left him. He woke up feeling extremely empty, as if someone had taken away a part of him.

 _15 years, 9 months_

A whole year had passed before Mamoru had seen Serenity again. He still went to the forest whenever he had the chance to, hoping to see her, but he could never find her.

Motoki told him that he was running a fool's errand - "finding the spirit will be harder than finding Unazuki's new doll". Mamoru's parents, on the other hand, remained clueless. They believed that his going into the forest, which was now proven to be safe, was a part of his interest in plants. They weren't wrong; Mamoru _had_ began to admire plants ever since he started meeting with Serenity, but she was the main reason he went everytime, the reason he wanted to go into the forest.

It wasn't until one night, when he heard her loud wails from the edge of the forest, that he saw her again.

Mamoru grabbed his schoolbag and ran through the forest, pushing away bushes and ducking under branches. The wail became louder as he reached the cabin, and excitement flooded through him, causing him to run faster.

"Serenity!" he called out, looking around, "Where are you?"

The forest was quiet, as usual, but Mamoru wasn't going to give up.

"Serenity!"

" _Go away."_

Mamoru turned to see a small ball of light behind the cabin, and he ran over to it. The spirit was sitting on the ground behind the cabin, her knees bent and her head hidden in her folded arms. She glanced up at him but then turned away, shaking her head.

" _Go away."_ she repeated.

"Not until you tell me why you left!" Mamoru replied breathlessly, "I wanna know! Serenity, we're friends!"

Serenity peered out at him from behind her arms, her expression sad. _"Friends?"_

"Yeah! We talk, we like each other's presence…" he thought for a moment, "...we'd hug if we were able to; that's what friends do!"

The spirit giggled suddenly, sniffling as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

" _We're friends."_

"Of course we are!" Mamoru sat down next to her, pulling his schoolbag off of his shoulders. "Look, we were talking about different types of flowers today and there was one that reminded me of you!"

" _Oh?"_ she watched him pull out his textbook, now smiling, _"What's it called?"_

"' _Ipomoea'_ ," he replied, flipping open to the proper page, "It's actually a group of flowers, but they're commonly called 'moonflowers'."

Serenity raised an eyebrow, her expression amused, _"How did that remind you of me?"_

"You're really really white, like the moon," Mamoru said, and looked up at her, "and you're really beautiful."

The spirit blinked but then laughed softly, _"Thank you. You've become quite tall yourself."_

Mamoru looked down at the ground, ignoring her gaze. "I'm sorry about earlier. . .I mean, I think I just felt left out since you always back away when I try to touch you."

Serenity hesitated for a moment but shook her head, smiling, _"Don't worry about it."_

"Also, I have another question."

" _Mm?"_

"Why do you have two buns atop your head?"

Serenity blinked again, then frowned, reaching for the buns. _"They're a family hairstyle!"_ she exclaimed defensively, and pointed at his bag, _"Why do_ you _bring food everytime you meet me? I can't eat food."_

"Well, _I_ am a human - it's not exactly a family hairstyle, but it _is_ necessary."

" _Exactly."_

The two laughed and continued reading from Mamoru's book, the original topic of discussion dropped.

That night, Mamoru dreamt of Serenity's chiming laughter, the way her soft giggles sounded like ringing bells, and how warm he felt when he was around her.

* * *

 _"3, 2, 1- ready or not, here I come, Mamoru!"_

Serenity floated out of the cabin and glanced around, frowning at the empty forest. A sudden rustling noise from behind the cabin caught her attention, and she grinned.

 _"Oh, no, where is Mamoru?"_ she asked herself aloud, feigning ignorance, _"I'll never find him, never, oh, never."_

A soft laugh affirmed Serenity's suspicions, and her grin widened as she floated closer. She turned around the corner to see Mamoru, crouched behind the cabin, his eyes brightening at her arrival.

"You found me, Serenity!" he exclaimed, and ran in front of her, arms wide. Serenity watched him run in front of her, a sad smile on her face.

" _Yes, I did."_

* * *

"Serenity, look!" Mamoru ran up to her one day, holding out a bouquet of white flowers, "I grew some moonflowers for you in the school gardens!"

The spirit smiled and floated towards him, bringing her face to them. _"They smell delightful."_

Mamoru smirked, raising an eyebrow, "Can you even smell them?"

Serenity stuck out her tongue, crossing her arms. _"How rude of you to ask me that! I have a nose, too!"_ she pointed to her face, _"See?"_

Mamoru opened his mouth to reply, but then frowned, his expression confused as his vision suddenly swirled. . .

. . .

" _Can you even smell the roses?" he asked, gesturing to the rose garden beneath them._

 _A young woman - was that Serenity? - frowned at him, and she hit him gently on the arm. "How rude of you to ask, Endymion - you people of Earth seem to forget that we of the Moon have similar anatomical structures!"_

 _He found himself laughing and took her hand in his. "Well, I don't think I have a heart any longer, because you've captured mine."_

 _She grinned, her expression joyful, but yanked her hand away to place it over his mouth. "Shh! Someone could hear you!"_

. . .

" _Mamoru?"_

"W-Wha- yes?" Mamoru shook his head and looked up to see Serenity's concerned face staring at him, worry clouding her features.

" _Are you alright?"_ she asked, _"I was just joking about the flowers, I'm sorry if I-"_

"Oh, no, no!" Mamoru shook his head and scratched the back of his neck, "Don't worry about it! I, uh, didn't get a lot of sleep last night - was studying for my exam."

Serenity nodded and gave a small smile. _"Well, then you should go home and rest. We can talk tomorrow."_

"Yeah, yeah." Mamoru nodded, "Right."

That night, he dreamt of roses and palaces, and the sound of a water fountain. But most of all, he dreamt of holding Serenity's hand in his.

 _16 years, 1 month_

As Mamoru's final year of school rolled around the corner, his parents asked him if he was considering applying to colleges, outside the village. His uncle who lived in the city had sent him a flyer for a scholarship for those interested in plant biology, and his parents were wondering if he was interested in it. He took the flyer and put it in his schoolbag with the intention of showing Serenity after school, excited to tell her about the opportunity.

Motoki had congratulated him, told him that he should go for it, go out to the city and become someone rich ("That is, only if you invite me to visit you in your penthouse"). Unazuki, now twelve, just stared at him, starry-eyed, and asked if he would buy her designer clothes when he became rich - Mamoru didn't say no in fear of breaking her heart.

After receiving positive reactions from everyone, Mamoru became even more excited to show Serenity, and, after school, he ran to the forest, anticipation driving him forward.

"Serenity!" he called out as he reached the cabin, "I'm here!"

 _"Hello, again, Mamoru,"_ she greeted him, floating out of the cabin, _"How was school?"_

"Serenity, I might go to college!"

There was a moment of silence between the two as Serenity comprehended the words that Mamoru had just exclaimed excitedly. She shook her head and grinned weakly.

 _"College?"_

"Yes! It's when you go to further your education, and get a degree in higher subjects." Mamoru took out the flyer from his schoolbag and waved it at her, "There's a scholarship for those who are interested in plant biology - that means I could get part of the expenses covered for me!"

Serenity nodded, the weak smile still on her face, _"That's wonderful, Mamoru - I wish you the best of luck."_

He grinned and placed the flyer back in his bag. "So, what do you wanna talk about today?"

 _"Actually, I'd rather be alone right now,"_ Serenity replied, her voice softer than before, _"I've been feeling unwell all day."_

"Oh, no," Mamoru frowned, "I'm sorry-"

. . .

 _"I'd rather be alone right now, Endymion," Serenity looked up at him, her sad blue eyes not matching the grin she had on, "It has nothing to do with you, though! I apologize on such short notice-"_

 _"Is it Beryl?" he interrupted, and he found himself reaching for her arms, pulling her closer to him, "Please, Serenity, don't listen to her - her jealousy will end soon once she sees how much I love you."_

 _"She calls me a witch, Endymion!" Serenity pulled away from him and shuddered, looking up at the sky, where the Earth lay among the blanket of stars, "I can't stand to know I'm causing someone so much pain that they hate me with every part, every spec of their existence."_

 _"But if you leave me, then won't you be causing two people pain?" he asked, holding her hands, "If we separate, you'll be hurting both of us, and, Serenity, we are allowed to be that selfish, aren't we?"_

 _She let out a cry and hugged him tightly, shaking her head._

 _"You stupid prince and your negotiating tactics." Serenity let out a watery laugh, and he chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head._

 _"I only learned from the best."_

. . .

 _"Mamoru?"_

"Yeah?" Mamoru shook his head, now taking in the change of setting - back in the forest, by the cabin, with this spirit, and found his heart pounding, his forehead sweaty.

 _"Is everything alright?"_ Serenity asked, her expression once again worried, _"I was just telling you about how I wanted to be alone again - but it's not because of you, it's because of, erm-"_

"I, uh. . ." he gulped, his mind favoring curiosity over reason, ". . .because of Beryl?"

Silence filled the forest as they stared at each other, and Serenity's eyes widened in shock. Her mouth opened to respond, but she didn't speak, and Mamoru suddenly felt extremely guilty.

"Serenity, I-"

 _"How do you know that name?"_ she demanded, floating away from him, _"Who are you?"_

"Who am _I?_ " Mamoru asked, now frowning, "Who are _you?_ I've opened my heart up to you so many times, and you've done nothing but listen - I don't know _anything_ about you!"

 _"You don't need to know anything about me."_

"Yes I do!" Mamoru retorted, now moving forward, "You won't even let me _touch_ you-"

 _"Mamoru, NO-"_

Mamoru had briefly caught a bit of Serenity's dress, and that was enough to cause a force so strong that he fell back on the ground, dizzy. The spirit cried out and floated towards him, tears now forming at the brim of her eyes.

 _"Mamoru! Are you okay? I told you, don't touch me, I…"_ her voice trailed off as she sobbed, and Mamoru just stared at her, confused.

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, different memories taking over and swirling like a hurricane. He blinked, feeling dizzy, and frowned, his eyelids drooping as he felt more tired. . .and sleepy. . .

. . .

 _"Endymion, listen to me," Serenity was now holding his hand tightly, her voice a low whisper as they danced, "I've heard that Beryl has infiltrated the Earth's royal kingdom, and that even those close to you have been brainwashed."_

 _"I know," he nodded and extended her arm to let her twirl, "Even my four guardians have been acting up lately."_

 _"I don't think we're going to have a lot of time left together," her voice was breaking a little bit, and he bent down to kiss her cheek, his arm around her waist tightening._

 _"If that is true, then let me say this - I love you, Princess Serenity."_

 _She sniffled quietly but had a watery smile on her face, her lower lip quivering, "I love you too, Prince Endymion."_

 _They leaned in closer, and closer. . ._

. . .

"Who am I?" Mamoru asked, sitting up in the wet grass, holding his head in his hands, and looked up at Serenity, who was still crying.

 _"I wanted to keep it from you, all this time,"_ she said quietly, _"I wanted you to live a better life."_

"All this time. . .you kept it from me?" Mamoru asked slowly, and Serenity nodded.

 _"I'm sorry."_

Neither said a word after that; they simply parted ways.

That night, Mamoru had a dream where he could see nothing but smoke and green sparks. He could smell blood and hear people crying out for someone to help them, to stop this madness. He saw a woman at one point, a woman with dark red hair and long nails, her deep voice asking that he choose her, demanding what he saw in Serenity. Her figure was blurry, and even as he squinted he couldn't make out her features, the smoke blinding him. He opened his mouth to reply that he loved Serenity, and nothing would change that, but he was interrupted by a loud, blood-curdling scream. He looked down to see a sword plunged through his chest, blood dripping down and forming a pool on the marble tile on which he stood.

He fell down to his knees and clutched his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was no use, and the scream repeatedly echoed through the skies, reverberating around him.

" _Endymion! Endymion!"_

The voice was Serenity's.

He was Endymion.

 _17 years, 0 months_

It was Mamoru's birthday and he was packing. Somehow, he found a huge flaw in this plan, but if he were to leave on time tomorrow for his college's move-in day, he had to pack now. Motoki had offered to help him out, but instead of helping Mamoru fold clothes, he was leaning against his doorframe, babbling on about how he didn't trust Unazuki's new boyfriend.

The two were both going to the same college - Mamoru majoring in plant biology, as planned, with the scholarship he had been chosen for, and Motoki studying engineering. Their parents had been absolutely ecstatic that the two friends would be together for the next four years, calming their worries about their sons being alone in the "big city". Not only them, but most of the village was excited that they had two people going off to college, trying to make a name for themselves. It seemed Mamoru had everyone's approval.

That is, except Serenity's.

He hadn't been to the forest in a year, avoiding the spirit. He hadn't had any more dreams about Serenity and Endymion since the last time he had been in the forest, and he didn't want to. The whole thing had been like a dream, a slow and painful dream that seemed to stretch out along five years.

And yet, he felt as if he owed her a proper goodbye.

That night, Mamoru went to the forest alone, ready to say goodbye to Serenity forever. He had rehearsed his lines over and over again until he was completely confident that he would say the right thing.

"Serenity!" he called out, like he did everytime he arrived at the cabin, "Serenity, I'm here!"

A ball of white light appeared beside him before Serenity stood in its place, her appearance no different than it was when he was twelve years old, except for the fact that he now towered over her. She looked up at him sadly, her eyes full of sorrow.

 _"Must you leave?"_

"Yes, I have to," Mamoru nodded, "I accepted the scholarship and the school's admission, and I'm going to leave for four years."

 _"I see."_

Guilt flooded through him again and he struggled to smile at her, trying to make the conversation more pleasant. "I'll be back during school holidays, though."

 _"Mm."_

The two stood in awkward silence, the cold autumn wind swirling in the air. Mamoru looked down at the ground, unable to find himself to say the words he had rehearsed so carefully the night before.

 _"You've grown so tall,"_ she whispered, looking up at him, _"You look just like him, now."_

"Endymion?" he asked, and Serenity nodded.

 _"Yes."_

"Serenity, I'm sorry, but I'm not-"

 _"You were him in a previous life,"_ Serenity whispered, and leaned forward, _"And if I can't see you ever again, then I must be selfish once more, just for myself."_

"What are you-"

Mamoru was interrupted by Serenity's lips on his, her arms around his shoulders. For a moment he felt as if it were a gust of wind closing his mouth, but he suddenly felt her lips, as if physically present, on his. He felt the tug of her arms around his shoulders and reached out, feeling lace and cotton - her dress - just by his fingertips. The memories hit him again, this time like a strong blow against his head, but Serenity continued kissing him, her warmth taking over his body.

 _"I must go now,"_ she whispered as she broke off the kiss, and Mamoru looked down at her. From the bottom of her dress were small, golden sparks, trailing up her body like fireworks and leaving nothing behind.

She was disappearing.

"No, no-" he reached out for her hand, her back, her face - anything to bring her back, "No, Serenity, come back-"

 _"Mamoru, this was bound to happen," she placed her hand on his cheek, smiling sadly, "Don't you remember?"_

"You can't leave, you can't-"

 _"'I speak these words, coherent!"_ she recited, stretching her arms outward, _"You, Serenity, shall become a ghost, a spirit._

 _"'Eternally to never hold your beloved/I cast you, princess, to lose the touch of those you covet._

 _"'And if you are to see your love again/dare you touch, you will go to heaven._

 _"'As you have given me so much pain/I, Beryl, cast this spell to drive you both insane.'"_

The sparks surrounding her chest were now moving faster, and Mamoru just watched helplessly as Serenity smiled calmly at him.

 _"Just as I found you, you will find me, Endymion."_

And with that, she exploded into sparks once again, her existence gone forever.

 _22 years, 6 months_

Mamoru was not having a great day.

First of all, it was Valentine's Day, meaning that most of his colleagues had taken the day off to spend time with their "sweethearts", and Mamoru was unfortunately stuck with thirty times his usual work.

Oh stars, he was going to need another cup of coffee.

Mamoru pushed his glasses back up his nose and stood up from his desk. He walked over to the employee lounge to refill his cup (a white one with roses on it), but found the coffee machine empty. With a groan he slammed his cup down on the counter, massaging his temples. It was the new intern's job to keep the machine full with fresh coffee, and, though he had never met her before, he heard multiple compliments on her coffee.

"What's the use of having an intern if she doesn't even fill the machine up?" he grumbled quietly, opening the drawers to look for the bags of coffee beans.

"Hello?"

Mamoru let out a surprised yelp and staggered back, covering his mouth with his hand. He looked around at the empty employee lounge and frowned.

"Erm...hello?"

"Yeah, hi!" the voice responded, "Can you open the bottom cupboard?"

Mamoru's frown deepened as he looked down at the cupboard and opened the door, revealing a short blond cramped in there. She waved cheerfully at him.

"Erm. . .do you need help?" he asked, extending his arm out to her.

"Thank you!" sh e exclaimed as he pulled her out, and jumped up to wrap her arms around his shoulders, "You found me!"

 _You found me._

"What on Earth were you doing in that cupboard?" he asked, staring at the cupboard, and she giggled.

"It's funny, actually," she said happily, "See, Mr. Furuhata made a bet with me - he bet that I couldn't fit in the bottom cupboard, and I said I could!" she shrugged, "But I think he forgot about the bet, because I don't see him now."

Mamoru pinched the bridge of his nose, "Motoki left an hour ago to go see his girlfriend, Reika."

The young woman frowned, "Well, he owes me money once he comes back, so I hope he's back soon."

Mamoru sighed and then glanced at the girl, his eyes widening. She looked exactly like Serenity - hair styled into two buns and two ponytails, bright blue eyes, short stature - and he could feel his heart pounding against the wall of his chest.

"Um. . ." the girl blinked, her expression worried, "Are you alright?"

"I, uh. . ." he scratched the back of his neck, "I'm sorry to ask, but who are you?"

"Oh!" she extended her arm, "I'm Usagi Tsukino, the new intern! I'm over at K.O. university, finishing up my BA in Child Development."

Mamoru smiled and took her hand in his, shaking it firmly. "Mamoru Chiba - I'm a friend of Motoki's - we both went to K.O. as well."

"Yeah, Motoki told me- oh!" she pointed at Mamoru, "You're the glasses guy who loves coffee! Do you work in the 'computer analysis' part too?" she asked, brushing some dust off of her pink skirt, "I hear the website designing crew is actually really hardcore."

"No, I- wait, 'glasses guy'?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Motoki and the other I.T. guys call you that. I always pictured you more intimidating, like the people who work in website designing. You're a lot cuter than I expected."

Mamoru's face flushed a deep red and he shook his head quickly. "No, I actually work with the plants," he closed the cupboard door, making a mental note to give Motoki a piece of his mind later, "It's much more exciting, in my opinion."

Usagi's eyes gleamed with excitement as she took Mamoru's hand in hers. "Could you show me? I'd love to see some of them - I think plants are gorgeous, but I can't understand biology at all."

Mamoru laughed and nodded. "Yeah, sure, but first. . ." he scratched the back of his neck again, now nervous, ". . would you like to go out to get some coffee with me? I'm kinda swamped, and I'd feel bad if I asked you to make some."

"I'm more of a hot chocolate person, but yes, I'd love to!" Usagi wrapped her arms around his, her smile wide, "Wow, it sure is luck that you found me."

Mamoru smiled. "It sure is."

* * *

Thanks to tsukiino-usagi for giving me an idea for what Usagi should have as a job :D Happy (day after) Halloween, everyone! :D


End file.
